Of Hearts and Souls
by NiteCreature
Summary: William T. Spears and Grell Sutcliff, the two most respected grim reapers of their class, are paired together for a risky and controversial final exam mandatory before becoming an official soul collector. The two opposites are forced to live among the human realm for a month and discover the importance and calamities when playing with hearts and souls. NEW AND ACTIVELY IN-PROGRESS!


Hello, everyone! This is the first story I have ever written and posted here on , so criticism will be greatly appreciated! It's a William and Grell based story but a few side pairings will make appearances throughout the story as it continues to grow. It takes place before William and Grell become full-fledged soul collecting reapers (like in the last OVA) but I am going to be changing things around and adding my own spice.

I plan on making this particular tidbit at least 10 chapters, but perhaps I will keep updating if I seem to be getting positive feedback. Let me know how this little bit tastes and I'll give you all another bite!

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**Of Hearts and Souls**

_The Rivalry_

The crisp autumn air swept its merry way into the classroom vividly, the scent of misty dormant leaves spicing up the rather dull setting with one sweet blow. A certain being experienced the best of the aroma as he was sitting just beside the ajar window, his spectacle-clad orbs looming in a relaxed close whilst dark locks struggled to sway astray but failed due to the amount of gel that perfectly sculpted them just hours prior. It was a delicacy to enjoy such a relaxing setting among his classmates and although they chattered and gossiped normally in the bleak oversized classroom, it was hardly a bother. He could concentrate on his studies clearly and calmly.

His duel colored irises opened after a good minute of relaxation to resume skimming the worn textbook on his cherry-wood desk, examining each sentence and its meaning carefully for it would be discussed in the lecture today, just as his elder had forewarned. Although William had studied the said materiel the prior night, he always managed to muster time to review so he wouldn't get lost in his elder's lecture like most of his peers seemed to partake in; their glazed eyes and drooling faces stuck on the white-washed walls like pestering flies. He didn't have tolerance for ignorance and immaturity and he certainly didn't tolerate irresponsibility, making his friend's list scarce. In fact, he could count his friends on one hand with digits to spare… but that was quite alright.

Friends weren't necessary anyway.

William had wholeheartedly accepted the supernatural body he had been given and with it the duties of his nature, which albeit was extremely difficult in the beginning, and ultimately learned to live with its consequences. He was chosen to be molded into the creature he was for a reason and he wouldn't put this transformation in vain like so many other shinigami decided after their revamping. He could understand the shock and fear harbored at the beginning of the grim reaper process, but decades later? Some of the soul reapers couldn't grasp or come to terms with their responsibilities and this made it difficult for William to relate with them for he felt somehow much older and wiser than they, despite the fact that they were all within a 5 year difference.

Reaping souls was a dirty and emotional job and many of the souls that were spared and turned into grim reapers went through a sort of grieving process, and because of this, the souls harvested into reapers were extremely special. Sometimes this process took place right after their human bodies and identities were discarded and born anew and other times it took the first reaping and judging of a soul, for it brought back a sense of nostalgia for the reaper, to feel the sharp pang of longing of their past human life and how it was robbed from them and they could never return to normalcy.

Another blow emitted through the open hole, this time more mercilessly. The once stubborn chocolate locks slicked back on the shinigami's head straying from their rightful spots in disarray, if only for a moment, only to spring back down against his cranium. With a sigh and a twitch of his thin brow, William turned to the window and with one effortless motion brought it to an abrupt close. He received several sour looks and could sense that he was now the topic of several conversations as one petite woman with a rather sharp looking nose leaned into another, more heavier girl's, ear and darted her eyes elsewhere hastily as William noticed.

'Leave it to William to ruin the fun,' he could almost hear them mumble.

Tough shit.

He smiled to himself, leaning onto the desk with his elbow placed atop the wooden structure and his palm cradling a manly defined chin, the other digits repositioning his glasses then flipping a finished page in his textbook.

It was just after this innocent gesture he sensed something more dreadful; something indescribable and slightly horrifying looming like a storm cloud in the room, its precise location unknown. It was quite normal for a soul reaper to detect another presence around them, even if they were obscure and miniscule, and the closer the being the stronger the warm, tingling sensation illuminated their body; it was similar to having your entire body fall asleep.

As of now, William T. Spears' body was almost numb with sensation.

It must be close.

"Will~~ie…"

Oh sweet Gods.

The taller and seated of the two need not lay eyes on the other to determine his identity. With an airy sigh and an annoyed twitch of his eyebrow, a rather repetitive habit, William simply grunted in response, his pupils never leaving the piece of literature. Maybe if he kept his interest at bay, the other would lose interest and find a new target.

William was too quick to assume though, for a flash of red and black was now in his peripheral vision.

"Is this seat taken?" The comical and slightly feminine voice questioned, sliding the vacant black eyesore of a chair back with a wincing shriek to allow himself access to the desk identical to the one William inhabited. The redheaded shinigami plopped himself into the rough seat daintily, crossing one slender leg over the other.

"If you're going to disregard my answer then why ask a question, you bumbling idiot." This was mumbled more as a statement than a question, for anyone could answer that. William couldn't control the now incessant twitching of his left brow.

It was simply the nature of Grell Sutcliff.

The younger shinigami could sense William's annoyance, after all he was almost oozing with disdain the way his eyebrow began vibrating as it usually did when William was bothered, but Grell paid no mind. He found immense pleasure in annoying the stiff-assed William.

"Why must you be so~ stiff, Spears? You act as if my presence ills you," Grell brought the attention of a manicured nail painted red to his eye line as if bored, carefully to examine its unevenness to the others- he would tend to that later- and snapped his attention back to William, scooting just an inch or two closer in his seat. Sharp pointy pearly whites gleamed a mere foot and a half from William's right ear as an epiphany, or so Grell made it seem the way he perked up dramatically, had dawned him. "Or maybe you're intimidated?" He whispered this with a testy tone, obviously trying to get a rise out of the taller man as that seemed to be his sole purpose.

William's back tightened, "Or maybe you smell foul and your voice makes my ears bleed." This was a bit overdramatic as the redhead actually smelled quite nicely. He would never admit that though, not even if on his second death bed.

Grell's shark toothed mouth gasped in melodramatic shock, his dainty hand sprawled over his heart as if William had just announced a devastating proposal for immediate divorce, "Excuse me, Spears, but I'm not the one who bathes in cheap writing ink and high doses of patchouli oil, oh no, I much prefer the fresh scent of rose petals picked on the full moon and the fresh blood of a ripe virgin." He licked his lips devilishly.

It was this confession that caused William to crack his emotionless countenance, not sure if the demented man was really serious or simply pulling his leg, his lips slightly upturned in disgust to release a small 'ugh', "The blood of a virgin? How ironic…"

"Yes, maybe I'll bathe in yours next."

The two shinigami always bickered, this wasn't a rare occurrence and in fact it happened on the daily. It usually began with William minding his own business and Grell spontaneously appearing seemingly out of nowhere (when in fact he was just very agile and stealthy) and interrupting whatever innocent act William was partaking in. This had continued for a good six years, each year seeming to get a tad bit worse than the previous, as the two had developed a rivalry.

And honestly, that is where all of the bickering and hatred stemmed from.

Grell Sutcliff and William T. Spears were both at the top of their class and this shocked their professors and baffled their classmates for they seemed to both be from different planets entirely. William, being the stoic and serious one that put his studies before all else, strived to please his professors and aid his peers… even if they all thought he was a bit of kiss ass. Then opposite was Grell, the flamboyant narcissistic troublemaker that put social status, fashion and himself before namely everything- even his maker. Being on opposite ends of the spectrum naturally made it difficult if not impossible for the two to see eye-to-eye and even more difficult to simply coexist in the same setting, namely within the same room, for both strived for perfection and to be the first recognized for their smarts and talents in the grim reaper realm.

Before the slightly offended grim reaper could retort to Grell's heinous remark, a sinister and deep melodious voice pooled into the chilled, now stagnant air of the stale room, sending a chill up nearly everyone's spines, ""Silence, you lot. I have a very important and dire announcement to make."

All twenty three bodies stood stiffer than precisely placed lamp posts, their shivering spines causing their yellow-green irises to dart and widen to the front of the room where a large black desk basked under the fluorescent beams of light.

The Undertaker.

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Yes. THE Undertaker has entered the building. ;D


End file.
